We’ve all binge-watched a lot of TV shows since the pandemic began, but what show was the best this year? We’ve got all the stats to tell you which TV series was the best show on Netflix in 2021.

12. Sweet Tooth 

It didn’t do great when it was first released, perhaps because it’s about a boy who’s half deer, half-human. But the views slowly started to build, and now 60 million users have watched Sweet Tooth on Netflix. The streaming giant describes the show as: a boy who’s half-human and half deer searches for a new beginning with a gruff protector. We can see why people hesitated, but clearly, it’s worth a watch. The show hit Netflix in June this year, and Season 2 is now in the making.

11. Snowpiercer 

Based on a French book from the 1980s, and a film directed by Oscar-winning Bong Joon-Ho, Snowpiercer is another series set in a post-apocalyptic world. In the series, Earth has become a frozen wasteland and the remaining population now live on a train that must remain in perpetual motion. The show explores themes of class, social divides, injustice and a fight for survival. It’s second season aired earlier this year and pulled in plenty of viewers.

10. Arcane

Based on the lore and concepts from the hit videogame League of Legends, Arcane has quickly become one of Netflix’s best-reviewed titles. It has a high Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb score and has been in the top 10 in both the US and the UK numerous times since its release this winter. The show follows 2 young girls as they journey through life in the dystopian underground city, Zaun.

9. Shadow and Bone

Based on the books by Leigh Bardugo, this fantasy series pulled in 55 million viewers this year. The series is about a young girl who discovers that she has a magical power – the ability to summon light. As she discovers this, suddenly she is flung into a life that she could never have expected.

8. Riverdale 

What started as a coming-of-age story about a group of teens in a small town in the US has quickly become a cult-hit with wacky, bizarre plotlines and burning hot romances. This show is still doing really well on Netflix, even in its 6th season. This year it pulled in plenty of viewers eager to see the next catastrophe lined up for the residents of Riverdale.

7. Sex Education

The show that made us all fall in love with Asa Butterfield, right? No? Just us? Well then…

The 3rd season of this show landed on Netflix this year and it attracted a whopping 55 million viewers within a couple of months of its release. It’s no surprise, the show became a fan favourite very quickly with a brilliant display of LGBT and race diversity, and an exploration of mature themes through the journey into adulthood.

6. Maid 

Based on Stephanie Land’s memoir of the same name, this Netflix series is about single mother Alex who turns to cleaning to make ends meet as she escapes an abusive relationship and overcomes homelessness all in order to create a better life for her daughter, Maddy. The show is shockingly real, heartwarming, and pulled in 67 million viewers as of the end of November.

5. Lucifer

This hit show started over on Amazon Prime, and then changed hands in 2018. Netflix has since continued the show’s brilliance, following fallen angel turned devil turned bar owner turned detective Lucifer played by the delightful Tom Ellis as he explores what it really means to be human.

 

4. Lupin

This classic French story has been retold through this amazing 2 series mystery show. Lupin is about a man who sets out to avenge his father, inspired by the classic french stories of Lupin, and in the process, he becomes a master of disguise and expert thief and has had people all over the world obsessing over his shenanigans.

 

3. You 

If you’ve not at least heard of You, you must’ve been living under a rock. The show follows sociopathic Joe Goldberg as he meets, falls for, and everything else with Love. We can’t tell you much more without spoiling the show, so go and watch it – now!

2. Bridgerton

Bridgerton took the world by storm. Everyone was obsessed with Rege-Jean Page (and we can see why), and the love story within the show made us all long for a beau (and some corsets). It’s definitely something to watch if you haven’t already.

1. Squid Game

It’s no secret that this Korean show took the world by storm. It got 142 million views, and inspired Halloween costumes across the country, as well as people trying to make honeycomb shapes for the first time ever. The show is about a group of people who have found themselves in a mountain of debt. They get the chance to rid themselves of their financial burdens, but at a cost.